Set in an alternate reality Victorian era in which time travel is a way of life and the upper crust gallivant across the skies in elaborate ships, a mysterious benefactor known only as Mr. X has prepared a Machiavellian new cat-and-mouse game for the ages.

As the name so deftly implies, murder is the name of the game here, but it’s just as much about the tense moments of planning, strategy and panic-ridden, on-the-fly adjustments, as it is the execution itself.

Developed by the team behind The Ship: Remasted, experience the giddy joy of subterfuge like never before. Surrounded by scores of innocent AI party-goers and patrolling guards, up to 8 passengers (humans or bots) must compete for the favour of Mr. X as they plot their gloriously violent acts, all while hiding in plain sight. That means identifying their assigned quarry in a crowd and plotting their demise, all while keeping a low profile and an eye out for suspicious individuals who could be their very own hunter.

Blazing Griffin announces the first ever Murderous Pursuits free weekend on Steam from Thursday August 2nd – Sunday August 5th, 2018.

For one weekend only, Murderous Pursuits is open to all to play for free. Wish listers see their wishes come true and have the chance to try before they buy.

As part of its commitment to supporting the continued growth of multiplayer stealth-em-up Murderous Pursuits, developer Blazing Griffin will launch its next update on August 2nd which gives you another reason to check it out during the free weekend. The 4th update in a series of major updates to enhance gameplay will bring the all new Elimination game mode, new Library map, new characters and more!

Coinciding with the Free Weekend, Murderous Pursuits will be available for a limited time at a discounted price of 33% off its base price of $19.99 and the DeluXe Edition 40% off its base price of $29.99.

• Free Weekend Start Time: Thurs 2nd August 10AM PT / 6PM BST
• Free Weekend End Time: Sun 5th August 1PM PT / 9PM BST

Update 4 Content:

• New Game Mode: Elimination - Elimination is played across several rounds. Find and kill other players before they find and kill you. Each round assassinated players become spectators until there is only one survivor or the round timer expires. Avoid attacking innocent passengers. Highest favour score at the end of the game wins!
• New Map: Library - In this new level, explore the vast collection of ancient books Mr. X has gathered from throughout time. Perhaps he will use them to rewrite history...
• New Character: Saurian Hunter - Stranded in a strange time and place, this Tracker has put her expertise of the plains to good use, refusing to become dino-food. Adopting to the savagery of the land she manages to survive in an age of giants and reptiles, coming out on top and making the infamously cunning raptor look like little more than overgrown lizards.
• New Character: Privateer - Cutting a swathe through the Golden Age of Piracy, this vainglorious ancestor of the Admiral was a master of derring-do and general filibustery. For twenty years, he terrorized the Seven Seas aboard his sloop, 'The John Bull's Revenge', even after losing his leg to cannon fire. "Ah harrrrr, throw down yer pies, ya scurvy dogs, an' prepare to be boarded!"
• New Ability: Subvert - Level the playing field by clearing all the abilities of players in the area and prevent anyone from using abilities for a short period of time.
• Backstab - You can now sneak up behind unsuspecting quarries and deliver a deadly surprise.

Blazing Griffin plans to continue with the monthly updates, with the next one available at the end of August. 

Luckily, players have a wide range of tools at their disposal for such occasions. Chief among them are vignettes - special locations that allow nearby characters to participate in a variety of highbrow activities, like appreciating art and discussing foreign economics, which will surely dissolve suspicion. Since no two murders are the same, players can also bring a range of equippable boons to the table, ranging from temporary disguises and flash grenades, to the ability to counter another player’s dastardly deed.

All this to say, players would do well to make sure their assassinations are discreet and anything but run-of-the-mill. Mr. X expects only the most exquisite of murderous acts. Whether it’s by seeking out high value death-dealing implements across the game’s lavish maps, or dancing over your quarry’s lifeless body, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of a well-executed execution.

Key Features:

• Thrill of the Hunt: Identify your quarry, plan their extravagant murder and set it into motion, all before another player wises up and does the same to you
• Think like an AI: Use busy, reactive environments to your advantage, as you hide in plain sight and mimic the actions of surrounding AI party-goers to get the jump on your quarry
• The best laid plans: Outmaneuver your adversaries and react to changing plans on the fly with a variety of abilities including disguises, flash bombs, and counters
• Murder with excellence: Be discrete, commandeer a high-value weapon, and dance over your quarry’s lifeless body to earn Mr. X’s favour
• Human after all: Play solo or online multiplayer with other players, featuring support for custom game options and wickedly intelligent bots
• An alternate reality: Step aboard the HMCS Britannic, a state-of-the-art, colonial time ship built at the height of the British Empire’s lavish Victorian era. It also just so happens to fly

Murderous Pursuits sets its cunning plans into motion on PC on April 26th, 2018 for $19.99, bringing this PvP murder mystery to life. Get ready to fall into this atmospheric, steampunk take on the Victorian era, as you experience the darker side of high society.